Any new product launch from Marantz is sure to grab headlines, and this is one of its biggest yet. The Japanese hi-fi giant has finally unveiled replacements for both its all-conquering and Award-winning PM6007 stereo amplifier and CD6007 CD player…
The Model 70 and CD 70 enter the separates arena with a new look, which brings them in line with the rest of the company’s hi-fi and home cinema electronics.
This means design touches such as textured surfaces on the front of both units and the inclusion of Marantz’s trademark circular ‘porthole’ on the Model 70 amp.
They’re not just pretty new faces, either. Marantz has promised multiple internal upgrades, all of which are designed to extract the best sound quality possible.
These include “optimised circuit layouts, carefully selected components and vibration-resistant chassis structures”
We’ll start with the Model 70 amplifier, which is a Class A/B design delivering 50 Watts of power per channel. It uses an upgraded power supply and preamplifier circuit, plus a larger power transformer than its predecessor.
It also features an electronic volume control as opposed to the analogue design used on the PM6007.
There’s a high-performance DAC onboard, a high-quality MM phono stage, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth (including the ability ot transmit and receive) and an HDMI ARC connection.
There’s also your standard suite of analogue and digital connections, plus preamplifier and subwoofer preouts. The Model 70 includes a new low phase noise clock to reduce the effects of jitter, i.e. digital timing errors and deliver more accurate playback of your CDs.
The CD 70 uses the same DAC as the Model 70 and offers a USB (Type-A) input on the front that allows you to connect an external hard drive. It supports a range of file types, including WAV, FLAC, AIFF and DSD.
Also on the front is a 6.3mm headphone socket which connects to the fully discrete headphone amplifier contained within the unit. To help with headphone compatibility, Marantz includes adjustable gain control, which you access through the player’s on-screen menus.
It also features an upgraded power supply, plus a double-layered chassis and rigid isolation feet to keep outside interference to a minimum.
The CD 70 costs £499 | €600 | $750 | AU$1000 (exc VAT), which, given its predecessor launched at £399 back in 2020, isn’t really a huge increase.
The Model 70, on the other hand, costs £749 | €850 | AU$1455 (exc VAT), which represents a slightly larger jump from the £499 launch price of the outgoing PM6007. Both are available in either black or silver-gold.
One thing you might have noticed is that there’s no US price for the Model 70 amplifier. This is because it won’t be available in North America when the products officially go on sale on the 15th August. We have reached out to Marantz for a comment about this and will report back as soon as possible.
It’s fair to say Marantz’s CD6007 and PM6007 have had a great innings – almost six years to be precise – so while it’s obviously sad to see these repeat What Hi-Fi? Award-winners replaced, it’s a change that’s been coming, and we are excited to hear what the new models offer.
We currently have both models in our dedicated test rooms and will be reporting back with our official verdicts in the very near future. Keep your eyes peeled!
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